Method and apparatus for performing a procedure on a cardiac valve

• US 6,769,434 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Viacor, Inc.
• Inventors: Cohn, William E., Taylor, Daniel C., Lambrecht, Gregory H., Liddicoat, John R., Davenport, Todd F., Woolfson, Steven B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isabella, David J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chattopadhyay, Urmi
• Application Number:
  US09/896,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 623/2.11, 623/902, 128/898, 606/108, 600/16, 600/37
• US Class Current: 128/898
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2427 Devices for manipulating or deploying heart valves during implantation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/902 Method of implanting

Abstract

A method for deploying an aortic valve prosthesis includes the steps of: making a first opening leading to the left atrium; passing the valve prosthesis through the opening and into a cardiac chamber of the left side of the heart using a first manipulation instrument; making a second opening in the arterial system and advancing one end of a second manipulation instrument through the arterial opening and into the cardiac chamber; securing the second manipulation instrument to the valve prosthesis; and using the second manipulation instrument to retract at least a portion of the valve prosthesis out of the cardiac chamber.

Claims

1. A method of inserting a prosthesis or device into a vessel within the arterial system comprising the steps of:

making an opening in a wall of a low pressure region of the heart;

advancing a first manipulation instrument to advance the prosthesis or device through the opening and into the low pressure region and

through a natural barrier between the low pressure region and the left ventricle; and

advancing a second manipulation instrument to transfer the prosthesis or device from the first instrument to the second instrument and to advance the prosthesis or device from the left ventricle into the arterial system and the vessel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the natural barrier comprises the mitral valve.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the wall is the external wall of the left atrium, and the natural barrier is the mitral valve.

4. A method of inserting a prosthesis or device into a vessel within the arterial system comprising the use of first and second manipulation instruments for advancing the prosthesis or device and the steps of:

making an opening in a wall of the left atrium;

advancing the first manipulation instrument to advance the prosthesis or device through the opening, into the left atrium, through the mitral valve and into the left ventricle; and

advancing the second manipulation instrument through a second incision into the arterial system and into the left ventricle, to advance the prosthesis or device from the left ventricle into the arterial system and the vessel.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the prosthesis or device is an aortic valve prosthesis.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the vessel is the aorta.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the prosthesis or device is releasably attached to a prosthesis holding apparatus carried by the first manipulation instrument as the prosthesis or device is advanced through the left atrium and the mitral valve to the left ventricle.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the prosthesis holding apparatus and the attached prosthesis are advanced by means of the first manipulation instrument to which the prosthesis holding apparatus is releasably attached.

9. A method for inserting a prosthesis or device into a vessel within the arterial system comprising the steps of:

inserting a manipulation instrument into the left ventricle;

advancing the manipulation instrument through the mitral valve and into the left atrium;

attaching the prosthesis or device onto the manipulation instrument; and

withdrawing the manipulation instrument out of the left atrium, across the mitral valve and into the left ventricle.

10. A method of inserting a prosthesis or device from a lower pressure region into a higher pressure region of an arterial system, and to a vessel thereof comprising the steps of:

making an opening in a wall of a left atrium,

advancing the prosthesis or device through the opening and into the left atrium; and

advancing the prosthesis or device through a natural barrier between the left atrium and a left ventricle;

wherein a tube is first positioned in the left atrium, advanced across the mitral valve, and advanced across the left ventricle and into the arterial system and the vessel, and further wherein the prosthesis or device is then advanced within the tube from the opening in the left atrium to the vessel.

11. A method of mounting a prosthesis or device in a vessel within an arterial system, the method comprising the steps of:

advancing a first manipulation instrument to advance the prosthesis or device into a low pressure region of the system and through a natural barrier between the low pressure region and a high pressure region;

advancing a second manipulation instrument into the high pressure region to engage and connect to the prosthesis or device while the prosthesis or device is connected to the first manipulation instrument; and

further advancing the second manipulation instrument to advance the prosthesis or device to a selected destination in the arterial system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the prosthesis or device is simultaneously held by the first manipulation instrument and the second manipulation instrument.

13. A method of mounting a prosthesis or device in a vessel within an arterial system, the method comprising the steps of:

advancing a first manipulation instrument to advance the prosthesis or device into a low pressure region of the system and through a natural barrier between the low pressure region and a high pressure region;

advancing a second manipulation instrument into the high pressure region to engage and connect to the prosthesis or device while the prosthesis or device is connected to the first manipulation instrument; and

disconnecting the first manipulation instrument from the prosthesis or device, leaving the prosthesis or device connected to the second manipulation instrument; and

further advancing the second manipulation instrument to advance the prosthesis or device to a selected destination in the arterial system.

14. A method of inserting a prosthesis or device disposed in the left atrium into a vessel within the arterial system, the method comprising the use of first and second manipulation instruments for advancing the prosthesis or device, and further comprising the steps of:

advancing the first manipulation instrument to advance the prosthesis or device through the mitral valve and into the left ventricle; and

advancing the second manipulation instrument into the arterial system and into the left ventricle to engage the prosthesis or device and advance the prosthesis or device from the left ventricle into the arterial system and into the vessel.

15. A method of inserting a prosthesis or device into a vessel within the arterial system comprising the steps of:

advancing the prosthesis or device through the mitral valve and into the left ventricle;

advancing the prosthesis or device from the left ventricle into the arterial system and the vessel;

further comprising the use of first and second manipulation instruments for advancing the prosthesis or device, wherein;

the first manipulation instrument is used to advance the prosthesis or device into the left atrium, through the mitral valve and into the left ventricle; and

the second manipulation instrument, passing through a second incision into the arterial system and advanced into the left ventricle, is used to advance the prosthesis or device from the left ventricle into the arterial system and the vessel.